Immediate effects of respiratory physiotherapy in infants with acute respiratory infection

Background: Respiratory physiotherapy has shown positive effects in acute bronchiolitis, but studies in infants with similar acute respiratory infections (ARI) in outpatient setting are needed. The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in outpatients with ARI after the first physiotherapy session. Methods: Quasi-experimental, interventional study conducted between February 2019 and February 2020 in patients under 24 months diagnosed with ARI treated by a home-based physiotherapy service. The variables of the Acute Bronchiolitis Severity Scale (ABSS) were collected before and after the intervention. The differences between both measurements were analyzed with the Student's t-test, the effect size with Cohen's d and the association between initial variables and ABSS changes with linear regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: 74 patients received intervention (50.7% males and mean age 7.92 months). In the initial assessment, ABSS mean was 3.24 points, 77.3% patients with mild involvement (ABSS<4). In the final assessment, more than 95% didn't present wheezing, respiratory effort or altered inspiration/expiration ratio; ABSS mean was 1.09 points, 95.9% patients with mild involvement. Significant (p<0.05) and moderate (d>0.05) changes in wheezing and large (d>0.8) in crackles and total ABSS were detected. A significant association (p<0.05) was obtained between ABSS changes and baseline heart rate, ABSS score, crackles, and inspiration/expiration ratio. Conclusion: Respiratory physiotherapy favors moderate, immediate, and relevant changes in the severity of acute respiratory infection in infants.